snippetbashTip

inotifywait — Waits for changes to files. See also: `fatrace`. More information: <https://manned.org/inotifywait>.

Submitted by: @import:tldr-pages·Mar 2, 2026·

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commandfilescliinotifywaitchangesforseewaits

linux

Problem

How to use the inotifywait command: Waits for changes to files. See also: fatrace. More information: <https://manned.org/inotifywait>.

Solution

inotifywait — Waits for changes to files. See also: fatrace. More information: <https://manned.org/inotifywait>.

Watch a specific file for events, exiting after the first one:

inotifywait {{path/to/file}}

Continuously watch a specific file for events without exiting:

inotifywait {{[-m|--monitor]}} {{path/to/file}}

Watch a directory recursively for events:

inotifywait {{[-m|--monitor]}} {{[-r|--recursive]}} {{path/to/directory}}

Watch a directory for changes, excluding files, whose names match a regex:

inotifywait {{[-m|--monitor]}} {{[-r|--recursive]}} --exclude "{{regex}}" {{path/to/directory}}

Watch a file for changes, exiting when no event occurs for 30 seconds:

inotifywait {{[-m|--monitor]}} {{[-t|--timeout]}} {{30}} {{path/to/file}}

Only watch a file for file modification events:

inotifywait {{[-e|--event]}} {{modify}} {{path/to/file}}

Watch a file printing only events, and no status messages:

inotifywait {{[-q|--quiet]}} {{path/to/file}}

Run a command when a file is accessed:

inotifywait {{[-e|--event]}} {{access}} {{path/to/file}} && {{command}}

Code Snippets

Watch a specific file for events, exiting after the first one

inotifywait {{path/to/file}}

Continuously watch a specific file for events without exiting

inotifywait {{[-m|--monitor]}} {{path/to/file}}

Watch a directory recursively for events

inotifywait {{[-m|--monitor]}} {{[-r|--recursive]}} {{path/to/directory}}

Watch a directory for changes, excluding files, whose names match a `regex`

inotifywait {{[-m|--monitor]}} {{[-r|--recursive]}} --exclude "{{regex}}" {{path/to/directory}}

Watch a file for changes, exiting when no event occurs for 30 seconds

inotifywait {{[-m|--monitor]}} {{[-t|--timeout]}} {{30}} {{path/to/file}}

Context

tldr-pages: linux/inotifywait

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